Stop the military aggression on Gaza, end the occupation

PALESTINEWritten by Liverpool Against the Cuts Wednesday, 06 August 2014 22:04

This motion was approved by the organisation “Liverpool Against the Cuts”

Israel reacted, predictably, to the formation of a unity government after the agreement between Fatah and Hamas by claiming that the Palestinian President Abbas, was choosing agreement with ‘terrorists’ rather than ‘peace’ with Israel. When the UE and the US public supported the formation of this unity government they reacted angrily and prepared to undermine.

In June three teenage settlers were kidnapped in the West Bank. In normal countries this would have led to a police investigation. However, it is now becoming clear that Israel is guilty of an act of duplicity shocking even by its history and standards. The government knew that the three teenagers were almost certainly dead within three days of their disappearance. It also accused Hamas of being responsible for their deaths but has failed to produce any evidence. They have cynically used the families of these teenagers for propaganda purposes.

They have used the opportunity to attempt to destroy Hamas and the resistance and undermine the Unity government. The army detained hundreds in the West bank – the vast majority Hamas members and also members of Islamic Jihad – and killed fifteen Palestinians. At the same time Israeli leaders have stoked the flames of anti-Arab racism leading to crowds of young Israeli Jews chanting ‘Death to the Arabs’. They are directly responsible for the murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, a sixteen year old kidnapped and burned to death.

Israel then launched a rocket attack on Gaza June 29, a breach of the 2012 cease-fire agreement – not for the first time. The five killed included a member of Hamas who as Israel expected and wished for, launched rockets across the border giving it the excuse to turn its military might on Gaza. Israel bombed the family homes of those they accused of being terrorists, with no concern for the inevitable large number civilian deaths. This included; a strike on a home in Khan Younis which killed eight members of same family, nine killed watching the World Cup at the Fun Time Beach café, seven died surrounding their house as human shields. No-one in Gaza is safe from the assault.

A UN report has said the targeting of civilian homes is a violation of international humanitarian law unless the homes are being used for military purposes.

According to this report almost 80 per cent of Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israeli bombardments have been civilians. Of the 138 killed when the report was completed, 36 were children, and 1,361 Palestinians had been injured. Out of wounded Palestinians, almost 390 were children and 250 were women.

During this assault on Gaza the coverage of the news by the BBC has been lamentable. The omission of vital facts has meant a coverage which is unbalanced and lacking in context and allows the BBC to present Israel’s assault as retaliation to Palestinian rockets rather than as an enforcement of its occupation and siege.

Both the EU and the US, who in the past have refused to condemn the murder of Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli forces, have stated that Israel ‘has a right to defend itself’ but stop short of proclaiming the right of the Palestinians to ‘defend themselves’.

The Palestinians are resisting, defending themselves and refusing submits to the assault by the Zionist state. Hamas has launched a fierce resistance campaign in Gaza. It united various resistance groups, including those affiliated with Fatah, Resistance is also taking place in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in particular where young Palestinians are engaged in daily battles with the occupation forces.

The present Israeli assault will end at some time but until there is a just settlement involving freedom and justice then another assault in the future by Israel will be inevitable.

In the light of the above:

1. LATC agrees to approach local media unions, including the NUJ and BECTU, to express our concern at the coverage of Gaza by the BBC and to ask them to cooperate in improving that coverage.

2. Agrees to sign the PSC open letter to the BBC and urges its members to do the same

3. Deplores the failure of the British government and the major political parties to condemn the ruthless assault against Gaza and urges members to write to their MP demanding they speak out against Israel’s human rights abuses and breeches of international law

4. Applauds the resistance taking place throughout the occupied territories and furthermore supports the right of the Palestinian people – a right enshrined in international law – to carry out this resistance the occupation

5. Call on the trade union and social movements to support national and international actions and campaigns in support of the Palestinians and condemn the assault on Gaza. We also demand that the British government takes the necessary steps to put pressure on Israel to end the military aggression against Gaza, including an arms embargo; and takes steps towards resolving the conflict, including ending the siege of Gaza and honouring previous agreements over prisoner release.

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Who We Are

La Voz De Los Trabajadores/Workers' Voice is a revolutionary socialist organization. We are the sympathizing organization of the International Workers League (LIT-CI) in the United States. We formed in California in 2008 around the struggles of the immigrant working class & the fight for militant, democratic trade unions and other workers’ and people’s organizations that defend the principle of class independence.